BY FR CARLOS LUIS SAC
It has been two months since the song “Tuzoch hanv” by Maven Fernandes dropped on YouTube and is gaining numerous views. Scrolling through the comments you will come to understand the love the song is receiving and is being called a masterpiece, soulful, soothing, heart-warming, magical composition, addictive and a lot more.
Maven Fernandes from Nuem, Cabo de Rama, is a singer, songwriter and musician. Nuem is a small village away from the busy city life where Maven feels inspired. Thus, he started writing songs and unfolding the rest of the magic, mesmerised by the wonderful setting.
He began playing the keyboard and guitar, then singing in the chapel choir. From there on he went on to other gigs. Besides this, he is also a football enthusiast.
He performs at various events and hotels regularly in Goa. He also teaches at Parvatibai Chowgule College in the Aviation Hospitality and Customer Service Diploma Programme.
Speaking on the skill of writing immortal songs, he says that he receives help from his family and friends, and most especially his cousin Freon, who fine-tunes the lyrics.
He adds, “When I sit down to write a song, I place myself in a certain emotion or I step into someone else’s shoes. I put my soul into writing the song while trying to give it a personal touch, and also keep the music very simple, yet very unique. Writing song lyrics has never been a problem so far. I write first in English. That’s my forte. To translate in Konkani is difficult, but I have help, so that becomes easy, and at the end, I move words and phrases just to make the song sound better.”
Maven’s album For You! - All rights reserved is all about love and its different faces. He plans on creating 16 songs for the album, and he is done with 6 songs already. Maven’s first song “Ravya sangatan” had two versions to it, and the song expressed the overwhelming emotion of being deeply in love with someone.
His second song “Sandlim noddren ekamekachea” is a very simple and slow chill song with a repetitive loop throughout the song. “Roddtam ugdassan” is the third song and is about heartbreak. “Tu kitlem sobit”, the fourth song is a special one for the extremely important person in his life.
Maven’s recent “Tuzoch hanv” connects with those one-sided lovers experiencing unrequited love. His next, “Tu yo moga” doesn’t have a music video yet, but is a different song.
Speaking of its distinctiveness, he said, “One fine day, I came across this line, ‘My heart beats for you’ and there an idea struck my mind. I went to a studio and asked if they could record my heartbeat, and we had that heartbeat done as the bass drum after amplifying it. And that is what is unique about ‘Tu yo moga’.”
For Maven, music is not about competition. He says, “People have different tastes in music. I create a certain type of music. Very chill. Meaningful lyrics. I’m happy with the response I get. I’m making an album which would connect with almost everyone. I believe one should stay true to themselves and do what they love to do. I only ask people to listen and share my music if they like it.”
Maven draws inspiration from many musicians like Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Ed Sheeran and Chris Martin of Coldplay.
But the best advice he received in the music industry in Goa is from Mark Revlon who said, “You did something of your own, no matter what. Some people will like it, some people won't, But the important thing is you created an original song. Valor! Keep going!”
This keeps him going forward every single day. He adds while encouraging young musicians, “Don’t stop believing in yourselves.”
Maven needs music almost every day. He testifies to having a vibrant playlist. He says, “Music comforts me. It heals. It’s therapy. It kinda gets me connected to the emotions I go through. And I think we all have a friend in music. I tell my friends music is magic.”
Maven, concerned about the Goan music industry, advises, “I think Goans should support Goan musicians who make original music, not only in the Konkani language, but in Hindi and English language as well. The talent pool in Goa just keeps getting better and bigger."
He continues, saying, "Goan bands should also consider playing English, Hindi and Konkani original songs by young artists. These artists need to be heard. It doesn’t take much time for young people to share a video on WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram. We need to help our fellow Goans who create good music.”
We can’t wait to listen to Maven’s heartbeat in “Tu yo moga” his next song, which is a mix between his originals, and the music has been produced in three different continents.
(Carlos Luis is a priest belonging to the Society of the Catholic
Apostolate (Pallottine) and is currently studying for a licentiate
degree in Moral Theology. He comments on social and moral issues.)